Turkish-Russian Tension Creates Quandary for Azerbaijan

Rising Turkish-Russian tension is putting Azerbaijan in a bind. At a time when low energy prices are squeezing the Azerbaijani economy, officials in Baku need to keep ties strong with both Turkey and Russia to help maintain relative domestic stability.

In the days after Turkish fighters shot down a Russian Su-24 jet on November 24, Turkey aggressively courted the support of Azerbaijan, Ankara’s closest Turkic cousin. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Baku, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declared that Ankara would “do everything possible to free the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh” – referring to Baku’s decades-long conflict with Armenia.

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Eldar Mamedov is a political adviser to the Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament. He writes in his personal capacity.